The summer transfer window is still open, which means Bayern Munich is planning to make some changes. However, those changes are not limited to the arrival and departure of players.
Changes are also taking place behind the scenes at Säbener Strasse, with president Uli Hoeness leaving the club in November. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has also made up his mind on leaving Bayern at the end of 2021. Until then, legendary ex-Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who will join the club in 2020, will be groomed to be his successor.
His decision to join the club as a board member has been met with widespread approval from fans. It’s not just the fans that are loving the decision though.
He also has the endorsement of ex-Bayern manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, who coached Kahn from 1998-2004 and from 2007-2008. In an interview with AZ, Hitzfeld said,
Oliver was always a leader who went out in ahead and dealt with pressure very well. He always behaved in an exemplary manner, had a good education, and founded his own company. He can become a great personality as an official. Overall, I’m not worried about Bayern. Rummenigge will remain until 2021, and then with Herbert Hainer a great man should be coming.
Kahn will start off at Bayern with a probationary period. He will be integrated into the club and its work from the very beginning.
What will happen in the near or distant future is still to be determined. However, it is apparent that club president Uli Hoeness wants to see Kahn become Bayern’s new CEO in 2022 and manage the club alongside ex-Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer. As reported in this Wednesday’s SportBild, Bayern is currently planning for Kahn’s first post at the club. As a member of the executive board, he will also enjoy seniority over sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
Kahn is already evaluating the club’s work, including Salihamidzic. And while it remains to be seen how Kahn will deal with Brazzo once he arrives at Säbener Strasse, it certainly doesn’t look good for him.
SportBild lambasted Salihamidzic for his shortcomings in its most recent issue. One example of said shortcomings is his mismanagement of the Callum Hudson-Odoi transfer. Bayern had reportedly reached an agreement with Callum Hudson-Odoi’s management team, but Brazzo acknowledged Bayern’s interest in signing the player publicly. That supposedly infuriated Chelsea’s sporting director to the point that she refused to have any further talks with Salihamidzic.
This latest article reflects the increased pressure and criticism Salihamidzic is facing as Bayern’s failure to do much in the current transfer window has angered fans, with many of them calling for him to get fired. The hashtag #BrazzoOut has been used on all major social media platforms and it has spread like wildfire.
That highlights the diminishing support from the fans for Salihamidzic. It’s also worth noting that Brazzo will lose his biggest supporter at the club soon thanks to Uli’s impending departure. That, plus the fact that Kahn is evaluating him well before joining the club, means that his seat will only get hotter with each passing day.